OPEN SPACE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT FAIR 2026

Information Specialist Judy Smetana, Volunteer Program Coordinator Ronnie Terry, and Volunteer Gardeners Michelle Poolet and Sandy Bates stand in front of the Boettcher Mansion display at this year’s Volunteer Recruitment Fair, which was held at JCPOS Headquarters in Golden.

Volunteerism isn’t anything new – it’s been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Officially, volunteerism can be traced back to the 12^th century in Britain, where more than 500 hospitals were staffed by volunteers.

The word “volunteer” stems from the Latin voluntarius – “willing, of one’s own free will”. It became part of the English language via Middle French, initially referring to someone who willingly offered themselves for military duty. Today, it has evolved to mean anyone entering service freely, whether military or community service.

Every year, Jeffco Parks & Open Space (JCPOS) hosts a Volunteer Recruitment Fair, during which time folks who are interested in becoming more engaged with our parks can investigate what being a hands-on part of Open Space might be like, i.e. entering service freely.

Teddy Newman, Volunteer Program Coordinator for the Welcome Center Information Specialists, talks to attendees at the 2026 Volunteer Fair.

Since January of this year, more than 80 individuals have applied for volunteer roles. The application process is easy. It generally involves filling out some forms and sitting for an interview with the coordinator of whichever group you’re interested in joining.

Curious what an Information Specialist job involves? As explained by Ronnie Terry, Boettcher Mansion Volunteer Program Coordinator:

To be an Informational Specialist for the Boettcher Mansion

The volunteer program began four years ago and has grown from three participants to nine. During my twelve years as Program Coordinator, I found it deeply rewarding to share the legacy and generosity of Charles Boettcher with our volunteers. They gain firsthand experience with the many facets of our events and participate in the team meetings we host. Each volunteer is assigned specific responsibilities to keep them engaged during the winter months, and in the summer, they stay busy assisting with tours. They also help by answering incoming calls, giving them an even broader understanding of our daily operations.

My team of Information Specialists gets to share the history with visitors from everywhere around the world and talk about Charles Boettcher’s wealth and share it with our visitors.

To be a Volunteer Gardener with Boettcher Mansion

To be a Volunteer Gardener with Boettcher is to embrace the outdoors and enjoy the natural sounds that accompany the work. Our volunteer gardening team began three years ago and has grown from three gardeners to twelve. Although the Program Coordinator had no background in public gardening—only experience with her own small garden, the learning journey has been remarkable, thanks in large part to the dedication and knowledge of our volunteers.

Volunteers take pride in the work they contribute to each garden bed and have the opportunity to watch the beauty they cultivate grow throughout the seasons. Basic familiarity with garden tools is helpful, and everything else can be learned along the way. In many ways, our volunteers grow right alongside the plants they care for.

Park Hosts provide visitor assistance, education, and friendly greetings to enhance the safety, knowledge, and experience of visitors. Park Patrollers enhance visitors’ experience by providing stewardship education, first aid, and information in JCPOS. Patrollers use common modes of non-motorized travel such as hiking, mountain biking, trail running, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, etc. Dogs are not allowed on patrol unless specially trained in the Bark Patroller Program.

Volunteer positions can be full-time or part-time, scheduled or not. For instance, Information Specialists have set days and times during which they’re on duty, while Park Patrollers can schedule themselves for times when they’ll be in any of the various parks within Open Space.

There are opportunities for group projects. Some groups, such as COMBA, the Colorado Mountain Bike Association, routinely set aside one or more days to work on trail improvements.

Other times, such as the upcoming Earth Day 2026, volunteerism will involve hundreds of individuals who will come out to work on trail improvements. This year’s Earth Day will include a restoration project, which will involve seeding, planting, and weeding. There’s a rumor that both breakfast and lunch will be provided.

This year’s JCPOS Earth Day Volunteer Event will be Saturday, April 18, at both South Table Mountain Park and Van Bibber Park. For more information on this fun event, go to https://www.jeffco.us/Calendar.aspx?EID=15391

Field projects customized for specific groups can be created. Through forest stewardship, trail maintenance, invasive weed removal, and clean-up projects, group projects build camaraderie and better parks for today and tomorrow.

Signing up for most volunteer positions can happen at any time of the year, not just at a Volunteer Recruitment Fair. Some positions are open only once a year, because of timing with training and work schedules. Other opportunities are open all year long.  For more information on how to sign up and what positions are currently open, go to https://www.jeffco.us/1567/Volunteer or https://offero.jeffco.us/getinvolved

Having our Open Space Parks so handy, so close, so available is really a blessing, and being able to hike, bike or ride in them at almost any time is simply wonderful. But to truly understand how incredible they are, and how incredible Open Space itself truly is, becoming part of the program raises your understanding and appreciation to another level.

Miss Mountain Manners truly thanks every one of the thousands of registered Open Space Volunteers for all the hard work and long hours of labor dedicated to making our Jeffco Parks & Open Space the award-winning program that it is.